


shark kisses and anxiety

by spacekiddgray



Category: Free!
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, Fluff, M/M, but there will be some romance happening soon, lots of fluff, lots of kisses, nitori has anxiety, probably just a bit of angst, rin is a somewhat comforting friend, they arent actually dating, theyre roommates, theyre still on the swim team
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-24
Updated: 2014-10-29
Packaged: 2018-02-14 13:12:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 16,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2193090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacekiddgray/pseuds/spacekiddgray
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>you would think a person with terrible anxiety would definitely be afraid of sharks, but nitori aiichirou wasn't always the smartest person. shark bites hurt really bad, but this shark just gave him lots of kisses</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> ahah this isnt edited like at all, but here you go. this is just the first chapter, im probably going to be posting the next chapter soon. i dont know how long it will be, but i hope you enjoy it no matter what!

Nitori Aiichirou was a first year in high school with a part time job, a dream to become a really good swimmer, and really really bad anxiety. He had a roommate named Masuoka Rin who was a second year, the fastest on his swim team, and everything Ai wanted in all aspects. He managed to become friends with Rin after about two months of being his roommate. It was probably harder than anything he had done before, even the hardest training regimen was easier than befriending Rin.

And if he was honest, it wasn’t like being his friend changed much. Rin was still grumpy most of the time, and he hardly wanted to hang out with or acknowledge Ai. But when they did hang out, it was actually really fun and as far as Ai knew, Rin was enjoying himself. And Rin also seemed to be really understanding about his anxiety. He would let him have his space if he needed it, and he’d also bring him water and even take him out on walks if it was too bad. Of course, Ai had to tell Rin about himself feeling anxious, but that was expected. Rin wasn’t a mind reader. He didn’t expect him to be. He justed wanted a hug, really.

They were starting to hang out a little bit more often as well, which was really exciting for Ai. It helped him out a little sometimes as well, because if someone like Rin could like him even slightly, it had to mean that he was a pretty likeable person. Or, at least that’s what he said when he was feeling really anxious and sad.

And some days his anxiety was okay, but this specific day it was not. It was Saturday, so it’s not like it mattered all that much because he didn’t have class, but he still kind of felt bad. As soon as he woke up, he just kind of knew it would be a good idea to put on some of his more comfortable clothes and maybe just take a raincheck on any plans he made. He took extra long to get up, and once he did he gladly noticed that Rin was still asleep. The thought of waking him up crossed his mind, but he really wasn’t in the mood to listen to grumpy Rin, either.

He ignored him for now and went to get some sweat pants on, just so he could go get breakfast and hopefully be done with his outings for the day. He combed out his hair as well, mostly because he was kind of nervous about someone pointing out his bed-hair or something. He was probably being dumb, but that’s what anxiety did. It made him feel dumb about everything he did, and then laughed at him because he wasn’t able to do anything about it. Anxiety was irrational, but it was also his friend somehow, and he couldn’t just let it go that easily.

He sighed and tried to not pay too much attention to himself before he left the bathroom, and then after that he just walked somewhat quickly so he could get this over with. He chewed on his bottom lip as he approached the cafeteria and considered maybe turning back for now. Surely Rin would be okay with getting him breakfast, or maybe they could go together. But, someone probably saw him on his way down here and he’d look really weird if he went back without anything and came back again. Maybe he could say he forgot something? Yeah, that could work.

He finally just told himself to take a few deep breaths, since it was like seven a.m and right now everyone awake was either too tired to care about him or they were busy with things that weren’t judging hungry strangers. He pushed the doors open and walked through the line like he did every morning, trying to convince himself the entire time that no, someone was not watching him. It took him what felt like a few minutes to get his food and then he chose a spot over by the windows to eat. He ate pretty quickly, and for the majority of the time he looked out the windows and thought about school things, which was really good because that meant he was distracting himself.

He ended up going through another internal argument about throwing away his food, because the trash cans were up in front of everyone again and he really didn’t want to do this more than once. But, there was only a handful of people in there at the moment, so he finally managed to convince himself that he would be fine. He had to remind himself to breath deeply through the entire walk, but he ended up doing just fine. He made his way back to their dorm as quickly as he could, and when he got back he closed the door and sighed softly. He jumped rather badly when he heard Rin call out to him, but then he calmed down again and walked into the room a little bit more.

 

“Good morning, Rin-senpai,” Ai said in a somewhat quiet tone, trying to evaluate what kind of mood Rin was in, but he was just really bad at that mind reading stuff.

 

“Morning, Nitori. Was breakfast any good?” Rin asked. Ai figured that if he was willing to make conversation this early, he was in a pretty good mood.

 

“Kind of,” Ai shrugged as he said that, going over to sit at his desk.

 

“Mmh, yeah. I think I might just go out somewhere for breakfast,” Rin said casually, stretching.

 

“Are you going out to see your friends?” he tried to ask nonchalantly, but he really wasn’t calm about it. He wanted Rin to stick around, but he also wanted to have his privacy, and he didn’t know which one he wanted more just yet.

 

“No, I was just gonna go for a walk, probably. You could come with me if you’re in the mood for it?”

 

Ai hoped that the reason why Rin was being nice wasn’t because it was really obvious that he was anxious, but it most likely was. He tended to be a lot quieter and a lot less cheery, and it didn’t help that he was curled up like he was.

 

“I kind of just feel like staying in today, if you don’t mind…”

 

“No, it’s alright. Just don’t think too much about things while I’m gone. I’ll get you something sweet, if you’d like.”

 

“Okay. Thanks.”

 

Rin made a sound before getting up and going to get changed. Ai let out a faint sigh and turned around so he could turn on his laptop. Maybe there was a new episode of one of the American shows he liked, that would be a really good distraction. Or maybe he could play some game or something. He really needed a distraction, because he knew that when he was like this he’d find something to pick apart and have an anxiety attack. He eventually shut his laptop again, because while he needed a distraction, he wasn’t focused enough to go searching for something. He picked up one of his books that he was supposed to be reading for English class, and since he hadn’t been reading it with the class he had some catching up to do. It was an extra good distraction, because now he could go up onto his bed and lay down, as well as do something for school.

By the time Rin got back, he was almost halfway through the book, although his class was still about thirty pages ahead of this. Rin didn’t call out to him, but he figured it was because Rin probably thought he was asleep. He was feeling pretty tired, he usually didn’t wake up this early on the weekends, but he hadn’t noticed it all that much until he thought about it. He moved so he could sit up, smiling at his roommate when he got close enough.

 

“I got you some chocolate, along with some gum because I remembered somewhere that it helped somehow,” Rin said, handing him the things he had bought.

 

“Oh, thanks. You’ve read about anxiety before?” Ai said, taking the chocolate and gum and for now just setting them on his bed by his pillow.

 

“Just a few things here and there. For one of my classes we had to read something about mental health or whatever, and I figured since you have anxiety it could be kinda useful to read something about that,” Rin explained.

It actually meant a lot to him, but he wasn’t about to say that. Even if Rin just learned about it for a class, he had thought about him and decided to do a small thing for him. He just gave Rin a somewhat small, but still really happy smile and nodded.

 

“What did you learn about?” Ai asked, curious now.

 

“Just that anxiety makes you feel like shit a lot and it makes you worry over really little things. And that anxiety attacks sound like hell,” he answered.

 

“They are, trust me. I’ve been doing pretty good, though. I’ve gone three days without having any,” Ai said, starting off with a small laugh.

 

“I think that’s good. Later today we have practice, but if we didn’t I’d offer to go to the movies or something with you and eat some junk food. Maybe after we could, if you’re not too tired,” Rin suggested.

 

“That’s odd. I didn’t know senpai could actually enjoy spending time with humans, much less actually suggest it,” he teased.

 

“Shut it. I’m just in a pretty good mood today.”

 

“I didn’t think sharks had good moods, either.”

 

“Nitori!”

 

Ai laughed. He never thought he’d get away with stuff like this when they first met, and now that he could he was really happy. He got down from his bunk and put the chocolate and gum in one of his desk drawers, and then put his book somewhere on his desk. The thought of cleaning his desk crossed his mind, but then he looked at the time and remembered that his all-time favorite show was coming out with a new episode now, and he decided it could wait.

He didn’t know what Rin was doing, but he figured that he was either gonna do homework or watch movies, because he didn’t do too much else from what he knew. Ai kind of liked it like this, where they hung out but they didn’t talk and they were both watching different things, and sometimes they would tell each other jokes from what they were watching, or make comments. It was just really nice and really relaxing, and Ai felt his bad mood slowly lifting from his shoulders. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> rin isnt as mean as ai thinks, but its mostly normal to be scared of a shark when you first meet one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry about the small wait. i started school and holy wow its not as easy adjusting as i thought it might be. but the weekend is coming up so maybe ill pump another chapter out soon!

The next day, Ai woke up feeling rather sore and tired, but he still felt so much better than yesterday. He got up a lot easier and he realized that it was a lot later than yesterday, which was good. Rin was probably up, but that might mean he would bring him breakfast which was extra nice. He yawned and rubbed his eyes before slowly climbing down, and then he got changed into some shorts and a shirt because today he had absolutely nothing to do minus reading and his homework that he always waited to do. He could probably go on a walk or something later, but what he was wearing was good enough for that.

As soon as he was finished up in the bathroom, Rin came back into the room. He had two packages that were wrapped up in tin foil in his hands, and Ai smiled a little at that. He had brought him breakfast, he was pretty sure. He waited for Rin to say something first, but then he realized that he might have his headphones in or something.

 

“I got you breakfast. I didn’t know what kind of stuff you liked, so I just kinda… Chose the stuff I like,” Rin explained, holding out the tin foil.

 

Ai smiled slightly and took it, thanking him even though he knew he probably wouldn't like everything. It was still really nice of Rin. He sat down at his desk and unwrapped it, then started to dig in. He was kind of hungry, but it was also just really good. He watched Rin as he walked over to sit on his bed, and he looked away once he started to unwrap his own food. He smiled a little to himself, hoping that today would be a good day all the way through.

After he finished his breakfast, he threw away the tin foil and wiped off his hands before setting out his homework. He sighed at it, then decided that he would start with his math homework. He wasn’t very good at math, but he was still passing with a pretty good grade. He was probably too tired to do this well, but he would try his best. He could ask Rin about anything he didn’t know, anyway.

It took him about two hours to finish all of his homework, and as he finished up with his last paper Rin cleared his throat. That meant he wanted to talk. Ai turned around in his desk chair and gave him a small smile.

 

“Did you want to talk about something, Rin-senpai?” he asked in a somewhat cheery tone.

 

“I guess I kinda do…” Rin said, rubbing at the back in an almost sheepish way.

 

“What do you mean?” Ai asked, obviously confused by the sudden change in Rin.

 

“I just kinda wanted to ask if you’d be willing to like… Talk to me? When you’re having bad anxiety or you’re just in a bad mood,” he said, not making eye contact with Ai.

 

“...Where did that come from? I-I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’d love to! It’s just that senpai doesn’t really ever act this way?”

 

“It’s just. It’s kind of nothing. I just feel bad for always talking about me and never about you when you’re the one with actual issues.”

 

“You have actual issues, too.”

 

“Yeah, but… Mine don’t bother me all the time and stuff.”

 

“Did you read about this somewhere?”

“Well, no… Sort of, in a way. I was talking to one of my old friends, Makoto, and I told him about you and how you have anxiety and stuff, and what I could do to help. And he told me that talking about it helps some people so… I just wanted to try that.”

 

“Well, if you’re sure. But, senpai, you really don’t have to worry about me. We’re not even that good of friends, you don’t have to waste your time fussing over me.”

 

“I consider you a pretty good friend, actually.”

 

Ai had to take a second to pause. He almost felt out of breath, if he were honest. Just being good friends with Rin was enough, but in this kind of sense? Where Rin would admit it to other people if they asked, or at least to him. Where Rin was willing to listen to Ai’s problems instead of just dumping all of his own problems out there and not listening to anything Ai had to say. Rin was willing to spend time with him, Rin enjoyed the time they spent together. This meant so much to Ai, and he almost wanted to let out a few tears. Then, Rin spoke again,

 

“Nitori?”

 

“Ah, y-yeah! That sounds like… Like it would be something really great.”

 

Ai forced himself to calm down, knowing that Rin would probably retract his statement if he started crying over something this small and this dumb. He took a deep breath and just turned around so he could just bury his face in his hands and smile happily. Rin just let out a hum of approval, and soon Ai could hear his music playing again, so he decided that it was all settled. He reached into one of his desk drawers and just pulled out some gum, and then he turned on his laptop so he could play a game or something like that. He kind of needed a distraction, or else he might of gotten too sentimental over the fact that maybe Rin didn’t hate him as much as he acted like he did and then he might actually hate him.

After about three more hours of just general silence, Ai decided that it would be nice to go out somewhere. He wasn’t brave enough to bother Rin while he was listening to music, so he just got a jacket on and some socks as well. He hoped that the redhead (or maybe maroon? Ai never really knew what color his hair was) might say something and go out with him or something, but he wasn’t being entirely hopeful. Just in case. He always hated getting disappointed when it came to Rin.

He waited for a few seconds after he got his shoes on, noticing that the other’s music had gone silent. He took a deep breath, deciding to do something brave for himself, and he turned back towards Rin.

 

“S-Senpai, is there any way you would want to go on a walk with me? A-And maybe also… Get something to eat along the way o-or something,” he said, fumbling over his words even more when he realized that what he suggested sounded a lot like a date.

 

“Sure. I thought you wanted to go out alone, but yeah. I’ll go on a walk with you. And whatever else you’re up for.”

 

Ai just gave Rin a big smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ai is an overemotional dork but thats okay he's still precious. rin is also a lot more chill (but its still early in the story)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> they talk a lot and rin learns what its like to hug someone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a certain shark boy learns to hug and its totally, completely, absolutely straight as well

The walk ended up being just perfect. It was quiet between them, but the sounds of wind blowing, cars going by, and people talking around them was just enough to keep it comfortable. They were dressed in a way that made them both just a bit chilly, and Ai felt completely at peace. He had no worries in his mind, breathing deeply through his nose with each breath because there was a store somewhere around this area that was cooking something sweet almost always. And not to mention, Rin was right next to him. Close enough for their hands to brush occasionally, and close enough so he could see that he blushed each time it happened.

He tried not to watch Rin too much, worried that he might get caught or that it would just look creepy to other people. He was just so… Stricken by him, although he hated that word. And he wanted to just be able to look at him for a little while so he could memorize his face. He wanted so bad to just be able to take his hand and have it still be normal, but no. He was being ungrateful. Rin had just told him how good of a friend he thought he was, so he had to become happy with just that right now.

He didn’t let that make him be unhappy. It was nice outside and he felt great this entire day, and that was kind of a new thing for him. Even if he wasn’t anxious he usually never felt better than just okay. It was a nice break. He let out a faint sigh, not noticing it this time when Rin looked over at him.

“You okay?” Rin asked simply.

“Ah, yeah. I’m fine,” Ai answered, shoving his hands in his pockets.

It was quiet again for a few minutes before Rin let out a quiet sound that Ai couldn’t quite pinpoint the meaning of.

“It’s really nice out here,” Rin said casually, and Ai wasn’t sure if Rin just wanted the silence filled or if he had something he wanted to talk about.

“It is! It’s usually like this, but that doesn’t make it any less relaxing to be here,” Ai replied, watching Rin a bit closer so he could maybe figure out something of what he was thinking.

“Hmm… Yeah. I really like it, too. It’s calming and everything. How did you find this route?” Rin just played idly with the strings on his jacket.

“I was just feeling kind of stressed one day and the main road to this store I like to go to was really busy, so I kind of just walked around. I’m really surprised I didn’t get lost, to be honest,” Ai answered with a shy laugh.

“That’s pretty nice. I might have to show you this one road I go down a lot when I have to think about things. It’s a lot more secluded.”

“Oh, really? I didn’t know that you went on walks for that reason.”

“Yeah, it was before I really started talking to you and some of my other friends.”

“Did you miss your old friends a lot?”

“Kinda. I was also nervous to see them because of how long we had been apart, you know? I changed a lot.”

“That’s understandable. Are you guys getting along better now that you’ve spoken to them?”

“Once again, kinda. I only talk to a few of them a lot, and it’s kind of obvious that we’ve all changed a little bit.”

“Well, that’s obvious, Rin-senpai. You haven’t spoken to them since middle school.”

Rin just lets out another hum in response, meaning that he was thinking. Ai was really trying his best to learn what all of the redhead’s sighs and nonverbal cues meant, because that would make things a whole lot easier. But, it wasn’t an easy subject to learn.Rin was irrational and over emotional and while Ai loved every part of him, he kind of hated how unnecessarily complicated he was.

“Do you ever feel like I’m mean to you?” Rin asked, almost out of nowhere.

“Uh… No? I mean, maybe sometimes when I’m being super annoying and maybe back when we weren’t super good friends,” Ai responded awkwardly, both caught off guard and unsure.

“That’s good… I was just thinking about this the other day, because I’ve sometimes been pretty mean to my good friends, and you were at first not a super good friend of mine so I thought that maybe at first you thought I was a dick,” Rin explained.

“Ah, no! I’ve always really liked you,” Ai only paused long enough to realize his mistake. “I-I mean, in a friendly way!”

He probably didn’t need to squeak like that to explain himself, Rin probably knew that, and he probably just screwed himself over. He was blushing bright red and he covered his face with his hand.

“It’s okay, I knew what you meant. I’m glad. Do you have anything you weren’t sure of with me?” Rin tried to help push the subject away for Ai’s sake.

“W-Well… Hm. I guess I’ve always worried about if you thought I was annoying…” Ai said, trying to will away his blush, but the warmth was spreading through him and he was surprised he wasn’t already on fire.

“I think I might have when I first met you, but obviously now I feel pretty chill with you.”

“That’s good.”

The conversation stopped after that, but that was mostly due to them actually entering the store they were walking to. They had settled on getting a few snacks before going back to their dorm and watching a few movies together. Ai knew that since Rin was probably going to chose a horror movie or two, he should get himself something that was calming. It wasn’t like he was going to have an anxiety attack over a movie, but it would be nice to not associate every sound in the hall with a murderer coming to brutally torture and kill him.

He settled on some ice cream, getting the kind that Rin liked as well, so they could share during one of the less terrifying movies. He also got some soda, although he was sure Rin wouldn’t be happy with all this extra junk food he was having. He didn’t really care too much himself, but Rin insisted that the junk food was why Ai’s times weren’t changing all that much. Captain Mikoshiba had personally told him that it probably wasn’t the reason, so he just shrugged it off.

He met up with Rin at the cash register after getting what he was getting. He instantly moved to go dig his wallet out of pocket, but the redhead made a sound that stopped him, and he glanced up at him.

“What is it, Rin-senpai?” he asked quietly.

“I can pay,” Rin replied quickly, already handing the cashier some money.

Ai just smiled a little at that and put his wallet back in his pocket. Rin was oddly kind at some times, most of the time it was out of the blue, but he still appreciated it.

On their way home, Rin listened while Ai filled up the silence with idle talk about his classes and what he had to study for and other things he wanted to do. Occasionally Rin would chime in, mostly just joking around or being sarcastic. That made the younger of the two really happy, and he smiled the entire walk home.

When they got into their dorm, Ai busied himself with putting away the ice cream and soda’s. Rin was turning on his laptop and digging out the list of movies he had made for their movie nights. There was too many movies for them to watch in one night, so they always sat together for a little while and decide what movies they wanted to watch, or rewatch. Usually it was some weird mix of horror movies, cheesy romances, and comedies, because Rin didn’t like romances and Ai loved them. And he would have nightmares if he didn’t have something to distract himself after the horror movies. So, it was a weird mix for sure, but it made them happiest.

Rin had made a spot for Ai, next to him. The redhead even suggested he get a blanket so he wouldn’t get cold, or so he could hide or something. Ai laughed at the way the suggestion was worded and just crawled onto his bunk, curling up a little bit and wrapping his arms around his legs while Rin presented him with the movies he had picked out earlier today. Ai picked out a few more movies to replace some horror movies, since his roommate usually tried to pick out just horror. The younger teen didn’t mind it all that much, it was kind of funny sometimes.

Once they got settled on the list, and also after they got comfortable in their spots, they started on the first movie. It was a horror movie and Ai knew he had nothing to be afraid of, he still ended up jumping and squeaking and hiding during the length of the movie. He was finally a bit calm around the end of the movie, but then there was a scare that had him shaking even after the movie.

Rin was going to ask him about the movie, like he normally did, but once he saw how much his friend was shaking, Ai figured he panicked a little.

“Oh, shit. You alright?” Rin asked, moving to set down the laptop so he could face Ai.

“A-Ah! No, I-I’m okay. I just wasn’t expecting it to be so scary,” Ai explained quietly, hiding behind his hands a little bit.

Rin frowned a little bit and Ai felt his mood drop a little. The redhead sighed softly and leaned over to bring the other into a hug, an extremely awkward one at that. Mostly because Ai wasn’t expecting it and he was a bit trapped so he could only wrap one arm around him. He also didn’t know how long the hug should linger, and Rin’s arms felt just a bit too tight around him, but then again it was a hug and it was amazing. Ai would be perfectly content to just sit here and hug him until he lost feeling in his arm, but then Rin pulled away.

Ai was still okay, but that was mostly because of the blush on Rin’s face.

“I thought it could help you calm down… My bad,” Rin muttered, hiding his own face now.

“No, it was nice. Maybe you could keep your arm around me during the rest of the scary movies?” Ai suggested in a playful tone that could let it be taken jokingly or seriosuly.

Rin blushed even darker, and Ai realized how much his skin matched his hair.

“Yeah. Maybe,” Rin grumbled.

But he didn't miss his chance. As soon as the next movie started, Rin had his arm around him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter: maybe a cheek kiss and more blushy boys  
> and hopefully it wont take so long


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ai realizes that anxiety can kill him even over small things, and rin tries to learn how to stop a person from drowning in their own thoughts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kinda rushed, kinda not too sure about this chapter, so reviews would be great. i hope you still like it of course, lovelies!

Their night went on like that. Rin didn’t move his arm for most of the night, insisting that it was more comfortable any time Ai mentioned it.  The younger teen really didn’t mind it all that much, it was really nice to be cuddled up like this, even if Rin would take this secret to the grave. Or maybe to their first date or something like that, if they ever got there. Aiichirou was probably just thinking too much into it, since it had been _just_ cuddling. It wasn’t like they did it for any other reason than to be comfortable.

Ai still had a hard time going to bed at the normal time that night. Rin had a similar problem, but neither of them talked about it. Both because they didn’t know how to start the conversation, and neither of them knew what they wanted to talk about. So, nothing ended up being said. The next morning was where the initial layer of awkwardness settled in between them, and Ai felt his breath catch in his throat when he realized that what they did last night might have ruined their friendship. He didn’t think too much about it during his first classes, but his anxiety started to choke him during the class before lunch when he got a bad test grade.

He wasn’t entirely expecting Rin to come over and sit down with him. No, that would be irrational. But, they usually at least stood together in line and when Rin hardly acknowledged him, Ai felt like his heart had been poked by a sharp stick; it stung. He let it go, though, kept his breathing even, until those bad kind of thoughts started to claw through him. Lunch was over and he was going to his last classes now, but all he could think about was the mistakes he made and how much he messed up. He couldn’t convince himself that it wasn’t his fault, although he knew it wasn’t and Rin probably wasn’t even mad at him, he was just being quiet and he studied for that test but he just felt so stupid and vulnerable and _God_ he hated himself. It didn’t help that he couldn’t focus enough to grasp what was going on, and he couldn’t breathe right or anything like that.

He had to leave class twenty minutes early to go to his room and curl up. He listened  to loud music, but he still ended up crying. He couldn’t get his breathing under control as much as he tried to, and he couldn’t get his thoughts to go anywhere but in spirals. He buried himself under his blanket and his his face in his pillow. It sometimes helped him calm down when he was all curled up and surrounded by blankets, but nothing seemed to be able to help him right now. He had learned by now that sometimes he had to just wait out the worst part and then he could distract himself, but he felt so terrible and he was sure his lungs would stop working.

And when he was in the middle of what he was sure the biggest and most stupid anxiety attack he had in the last month, he felt someone touch his shoulder. He nearly jumped through the roof, and he let out a very unattractive, nasally, whiny sound when he saw that it was Rin.

  
“Holy shit, Nitori, what happened?” Rin looked so concerned and suddenly he felt twice as dumb for thinking that their friendship had been ruined.

“I’m sorry, senpai, I’m just really dumb and I think too much,” Ai croaked out in what he personally thought was the most disgusting sounding voice.

“What happened?” Rin repeated, although the smaller teenager had already rolled over and proceeded with the hiding procedure. “Nitori, no, you can’t do this right now. I want to help you.”

Rin was met with silence, minus the frequent loud sniffle.

“ _Aiichirou_ ,” he gave another try, hoping that he came off as comforting but still firm.

“I got a bad grade, a-a-and then you just seemed s-so mad at lunch and I thought wa-ay too much about it and I-I’m sorry,” Ai answered him in a quick, loud burst.

Rin frowned as he took that in. He wished that making him feel better was as easy as just hugging him and telling him that it would be okay, but he knew that wouldn’t work. Ai probably wouldn’t even want a hug right now. He didn’t quite know what to say, though he knew that he shouldn’t do nothing for too long, so he ended up just resting his hand on Ai’s shoulder through the bars surrounding the top bunk.

“Take a deep breath for me, Nitori. I’m not mad at you or anything, and I’m sure it wasn’t your fault for getting that grade,” Rin said, knowing that it sounded forced. But, he also knew that Ai would be thankful for at least him trying.

“But, I studied so hard a-and everything was s-so great last night-”

“Everything is still great now. I’d be willing to do what we did last night again, and if you just wanted to still be friends we could. I’m not gonna talk much more about that right now, since I would prefer for you to not have snot running down your face when we talk about cuddling, but ignore that.”

“You thought it was cuddling?” It’s probably not the right response, but Ai did not care. It was the one thing he could focus on that weren’t his own thoughts, and Rin knew that and sighed playfully.

“Go wash your face or maybe even take a shower. I’ll be here to talk more after, if you want to,” the redhead mumbled.

Ai felt a small amount of happiness, and then he climbed down quickly to go wash off his face and even get his breathing under control. That anxiety attack had been a bit strange with how suddenly it came and went, but he guessed that it only made sense that he would go through a few nice days before getting slapped harshly. He sighed at that thought and just blew his nose really quickly (oh God, that had to have been the most unattractive thing ever) before he walked back into their room and sat himself down on Rin’s bed.

“I want to say sorry, Rin-senpai. That was really childish of me and-”

“No, it’s okay. I’m pretty sure that’s what anxiety does. It makes you feel like everything you’re upset about is nothing, and although you definitely need to be upset about it, you’re also really dumb for thinking about it at all. And you weren’t being dumb, or childish,” Rin interrupted in the kindest tone Ai had ever heard him use, and he almost felt like crying again.

“Besides, you’ve seen me throw a fit about losing a race, which is actually childish,” Rin mentioned as well. Ai’s smile was worth the slight sting of admitting he had done something wrong.

“Thank you so much.”

 

Ai didn’t let Rin respond, he was too busy hugging him. He had nearly tackled Rin back onto the bed with how hard and suddenly he had hugged him, but honestly the redhead didn’t mind it all that much. He hugged his roommate back and even started to slowly run his hand along his back, trying to be soothing. Ai was focused on his breathing now, letting himself relax in his senpai’s arms, until he felt almost sleepy. His head heard and his face burned a little from the tears, and when he felt soft, warm lips press against his forehead he didn’t even move. Rin was blushing because of how weirdly nice it felt, but Ai was calm so he forced himself to be calm. Ai seemed tired as well, so he decided to play with his hair some although that was _so_ weird and not straight at all, but at this point, he was a bit far gone.

Aiichirou fell asleep like that. Rin didn’t have the heart to move him. That’s how Rin found out that he was _really_ gay for his roommate (he already kind of knew, but this made it more real somehow), and although he probably wouldn’t mention it just yet, he knew that at some point soon, they would have to talk. 

 

-

Ai woke up about an hour later, and by then Rin had moved so they were laying down. Ai had ended up with head on Rin’s chest and Rin was just casually watching a movie, and the gray-haired teen couldn’t help but smile.

“Hello, Rin-senpai,” Ai said softly.

Rin just let out a faint sound, glancing over at him and giving him a small smile. 

“You slept for a while. I was thinking that you would be asleep until the sun went down, though,” the older teen mumbled.

“Rin-senpai… Thank you for taking care of me,” he replied.

“Nah, it’s okay. I’ve been much worse.”

“You aren’t always terrible, you know.”

“I know.”

They just looked at each other for a moment, and that’s when Ai got a bit brave and he leaned in to kiss his cheek. Rin went bright red, of course, but he didn’t say anything and he didn’t pull away either.

They stayed like that for an hour, and the only reason they moved was because they had swim practice. It was a quiet walk down to the pool room, but when they were about to enter Rin stopped them.

“I just wanted to say good luck, and I hope you can get your times up a little,” he said, looking away as he rubbed the back of his neck slightly.

“Th-Thank you!” Ai said, bowing slightly with an obviously happy expression on his face.

 

Ai managed to shave off .4 seconds from his time.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> maybe theyll make out next chapter maybe they wont talk maybe theyll fight about something maybe theyll go on a date. does anyone know anything for sure anymore?


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> aiichriou learns that shark kisses, while sudden, are very very great and gentle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im not entirely feeling this chapter, it was a little dry and forced at the beginning, but oh well.

A bit of time passed where everything was normal and okay, besides the occasional movie and cuddle session. Rin had a few tantrums every now and then, but Aiichirou was great at handling those. About a week passed before things got a little glum again, but that was due to both tests and the storm clouds blocking out the sun outside. Ai didn’t mind the tests, he usually did pretty good, but the bad weather had him a bit duller than normal. Even Rin was more calm than usual, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Ai was busy studying and doing some other homework when Rin tapped his shoulder. He jumped a little; he hadn’t heard the other come into the room. He hadn’t thought that he was that into his studying, but he supposed it was possible. He turned to his roommate with a small smile on his face,

“Hello, Rin-senpai.”

“Hey. I was wondering if you wanted to go on a walk with me?” Rin offered, not making eye contact with him, which he found just a bit odd.

“Ah, but isn’t it going to rain soon?” Ai gestured to the window with his pencil before setting it down.

“Yeah, but we should be back by then, I think. Either way, you’ll need a jacket if you go,” the redhead said, walking over to get both of their jackets.

“I didn’t say yes,” Ai said.

“I know you’re gonna, though.”

“True.”

Aiichirou shrugged it off and got up, pulling his jacket on before zipping it up. He waited for Rin for a moment, then he remembered he had to put his shoes on. While he was lacing them up, he asked where they were going. Rin just gave a vague reply, and Ai just assumed that they might being going somewhere special. He liked that idea, but he almost wished that the idea would have struck his senpai on a nicer day.

They left together, earning a strange look from a few people, especially members of their team. They probably thought they were dating, since they had been spending so much time together and Ai’s times were improving and everything like that. Either that, or they were training together. The former was better for gossip purposes, though. Rin and Ai didn’t mind it that much so far, and as long as no one asked them about it while they were around each other it didn’t matter.

On their actual walk, there wasn’t all that much talking. They had gotten quite used to comfortable silences, and it was never weird to break them either. Ai thought that this meant that they were passing into the ‘really good friends’ territory. He hoped so. Rin thought so, too, but they hadn’t gotten the courage to ask each other yet.

They had gone on a lot of walks and things like that recently. Like the movies, occasionally an arcade, dinner and breakfast together, and once they even went out to the mall together. Of course, it was a bit of a different experience, and it basically ended up being a competition of who could buy the other their favorite thing. Ai had a lot of fun that day, especially since he ended up winning. Rin wasn’t _that_ much of a sore loser to be mad about that, because he had managed to buy Aiichirou a lot. Just not all of his favorites.

Finally, when Ai had just noticed he wasn’t sure where they were going, Rin mentioned something.

“You might want to look around some. This is one of the more secluded places I walk, and I really like it. It’s got good scenery and whatnot. I figured that it could be a nice place to talk…” Rin trailed off, scratching at the back of his neck before looking over at Ai.

“Oh, really? Talk about what? Did something bad happen or anything?” Ai was quick to pick up on the last part, but he didn’t disregard the rest.

“Ah, no. I just kinda wanted to ask you some things, really. It’s nothing too big or anything. Actually, this was kind of a suggestion of one of my friends. The one that always helps me figure out stuff,” he explained.

“I should really meet that guy. He helps you out with everything, it seems. Although, it may be a little weird to be hanging out with your friend that I don’t know,” the younger boy laughed.

“That actually doesn’t sound all that bad. You meeting the guys from Iwatobi, if you’re comfortable, could be really cool. I think they’d like you,” the redhead explained again, sounding surprisingly open to the idea.

“Do you really think of me as that great a friend?” Ai asked daringly, biting his lip for a moment before continuing, “I mean, you’ve known them since childhood, and you’ve only been my roommate for a few months…”

“Don’t say that kind of stuff, Nitori. Of course I think you’re a pretty good friend. I tell you about all the bullshit that bothers me and whatnot, and that’s what good friends do, right?”

Ai thought for a moment and nodded. It sounded about right to him. He had never really had a person he would call best friend, but Rin was certainly someone who was close to being in that position. So this kind of confirmation? It sent him over the moon.

“Yeah, I suppose they do. And, well, sometimes we do stuff that’s almost considered couple-ish, so that means we’re probably really good friends,” Ai pointed out, making Rin turn a little pink.

“We’re not that bad! My other friends could be literally making out in the middle of the courtyard and some people would still be saying that they’re just “really, really good friends!”” Rin laughed.

In return, Ai laughed some, “Rin-senpai, I think you might just be over exaggerating just a little bit.”

“I’m not though!” he laughed, looking over at Ai after a few moments.

And then, an almost strange kind of silence came over them as they looked each other in the eye. It wasn’t uncomfortable, they were both smiling about it. Rin broke eye contact first and stopped, which made Ai stop after a moment as well. He looked over at Rin curiously, but the redhead was looking away, obviously thinking about something. He waited patiently, starting to slowly rock on his heels while he waited. He was sure that it was something important since  Rin was never this quiet about anything.

Just as the redhead was about to speak, a clap of thunder echoed through the air.

“Well, shit,” Rin chuckled under his breath, but Ai didn’t mind one bit.

“Did you have something you wanted to say, senpai?” Ai asked.

 

“I… Well… Hm. I wasn’t quite sure if or how I should say this… But, basically I just kinda wanted to talk about us,” he explained, scratching at his neck again.

“What about us? That’s very vague still.”

There was another long pause, and Ai almost thought that Rin had gotten too embarrassed or upset over what he was going to say.

“I… I kind of like you, Nitori. Like, in the kind of gay way,” Rin explained horribly.

The younger boy just blinked for a moment and tried to think of something to say. He opened and closed his mouth several times, before he finally stuttered out,

“I kind of like you, too, senpai!”  

Once again there was a painfully long pause before someone spoke again. Except, it was more or less movement. Ai had took a step closer to kiss Rin’s cheek daringly, and then somehow, before he could process it, Rin had wrapped an arm around him and was kissing him. It was gentle, but inexperienced and at first they had kind of bumped into one another. That was due to Aiichriou not expecting it, and to both of them only having spin the bottle and seven minutes in heaven as their previous kissing experiences. As soon as Aiichriou started to react, Rin was trying to pull back and he stopped him by wrapping his arms around his neck.

Rin’s lips were warm and softer than he expected, and he worried that his own lips might be chapped from how much he bit them, but then it sunk in that it was their first kiss. No, it was more or less just that fact that they were kissing. He didn’t know how or why it happened, but it even more amazing than he could have imagined. A burst of happiness shot through him, starting at his heart and awakening the butterflies in his stomach, and stealing away what little breath he had left and he felt like he was choking. Except, this time it was happiness wrapped around him, and it knew when to let him go.

Just as his lungs started to burn, the redhead pulled back. Ai moved to hide his face in Rin’s neck, blushing from the tips of his ears to his shoulders now. He let out a soft laugh nonetheless, and Rin managed a chuckle at that.

“I didn’t know what else to say, so I just did that,” Rin explained sheepishly.

“I-It’s okay. I was just surprised,” he replied quietly, a little more out of breath than Rin.  

“So, would you be willing to go on a date with me? Or something like that. I spent the last week trying to figure out how to ask you on a date and, as you can see, I came up with jack shit,” Rin murmured.

“It’s okay,” Ai laughed, “I don’t mind. I’d love to go on a date with you. We can go out for a more fancy date, or go out to the fair or something.”

“I was actually kind of thinking going stargazing with you,” Rin admitted, “It was a lame idea from this one website, but figured you might like it. Not that you like lame stuff… It just sounded cooler before I said it.”

“Right… Well, honestly, I really like that idea.”

Ai was having a hard time keeping his grin back. He just pressed his face a bit harder against Rin’s neck, although he was sure that made it worse because now he’d be able to feel him smiling against his skin. Rin just hugged him a little tighter.

Rin had opened his to say something else, but as soon as he did another clap of thunder cut him off. Again. He laughed instead of saying something, because thats when it started to sprinkle.

“Well, shit. Looks like we might have to jog back home,” Rin wasn’t really joking, but he had a smile on his face and he was laughing a little.

Ai nodded and pulled back slowly, pecking a kiss to Rin’s cheek before taking his hand. He felt embarrassed to something so bold, but he had really wanted to do that. He squeezed Rin’s hand once their fingers were laced, and then they started to walk home. Even when it was basically pouring, they still walked and stopped to kiss occasionally. Really, it was worth a cold. They could change and then maybe nap together, and then after that they could talk for a while. If they got sick, then that meant they had more time together. There was no downfall, minus the terribleness that is a runny nose. They ran a little bit of the way home on that thought, but then they decided that it would probably happen during winter and they’d just get over it.

By the time they got to their dorm, they were soaked. But, they were both smiling and they were still holding hands. Their kisses had been cut down drastically, since they were in front of other people now and technically PDA was against the rules aways. But, once they were in their room and they had gotten changed into comfortable and warm clothes, they laid on Rin’s bunk and kissed for a while.

There wasn’t any tongue or anything like that, it was just soft and gentle and comforting, and Ai almost fell asleep a couple times. Rin would nip him if he did that, but it was obvious they were both tired. They fell asleep cuddling, but that wasn’t something all that new to them anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for all the kudos, by the way! ill include extra fluff in the next chapter, maybe. also, leave some more comments if you'd like! ill try my best to update again by wednesday, but i wouldn't be surprised if i didn't update until next week. school just kills my inspiration, i swear


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> they both learn that silence can't be awkward and aiichirou learns that his shark might actually get rid of his fears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i planned to update this like thursday but then i had homework for about four hours and it killed me. i guess weekly updates arent too bad. also, thanks again for all the kudos! (i cant remember if i mentioned that before, wow) i'm glad you guys like this au. feel free to comment, as always

The next time they left the school together was on a Thursday night after a long training session. They were both sore and tired, but they had agreed that they wanted to go out tonight. Ai had a jacket on because it was cold out, but Rin just had his tank top on. Ai worried a little about it, but he figured that later they’d probably be cuddling so it would be okay. He leaned against his boyfriend, and when he called Rin his boyfriend in his thoughts he smiled. He was still in a daze, he wasn’t sure how or why Rin became his boyfriend, but now they kissed a lot and cuddled during the night. And they were going to start going on dates, and this was their first. Surely stargazing wasn’t the best thing to do on the first date, but they both really liked the idea, and it was cheap and so were they.

It was a clear night, the moon bright enough to give them enough light, but the street lamps were appreciated. The stars were easily visible, and Aiichirou was honestly excited.

 

“Rin-senpai… It’s going to be really nice tonight. I know we hung out a lot before this, but… Having it be called an actual date makes it a whole different kind of thing,” Ai said, trying to fill the silence.

 

“I know. It’s really weird, since we have only been roommates for, what, four months now?” Rin said.  

 

“Yeah… And you didn’t talk to me much for the first month or so, really…” Ai looked down, starting to play with the ends of his jacket sleeves.

 

“I was a real dick at first. But, I think I’m better now, right?” Rin watched Ai as he spoke.

 

“Of course. I’m not sure what happened, whether it be your old friends coming back, or if it was how you learned I have anxiety, or anything else, but it was great. You’re so much nicer,” Ai looked up at Rin, making eye contact.

 

“I guess it was both of them. I realized that I wasn’t the only one with problems, and that yours were probably worse than mine, and then when my old friends started to talk with me again, it made me realize a bunch of stuff,” Rin said.

 

“Ah… That makes sense, I guess. You’ve been swimming harder since  you talked to them,” he pointed out.

 

“And you’ve been swimming harder since we’ve started hanging out.”

 

“Well, you’ve always really inspired me.”

 

Rin was quiet for a little while after that, and Ai didn’t mind it one bit. He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked up at the sky, sighing softly as a small smile came over his face. 

“Aiichirou,” Rin called his name in a tone that Ai couldn’t really recognize.

 

“Yeah?” Ai asked softly.

 

“You’ve inspired me, too, I guess.”

 

Ai looked over at Rin and gave him a small smile. He wasn’t sure how to respond, but it was obvious that he was happy. Rin smiled a little less widely, his cheeks a light pink, and he took one of Ai’s hands out of his pocket to hold.

 

“I’m glad,” the younger managed.

 

It was quiet after that until they got to the park. But that was just the change of sounds, going from the sound of shoes on pavement to the sound of shoes on gravel, and the quietness of bugs chirping quietly. They didn’t even break the silence to find a place to lie down and watch the stars. Rin had pointed to a spot and Ai nodded and they walked over quietly. They got comfortable, Ai pressed right up against Rin and resting his head on his chest while he looked up at the sky. Rin would occasionally run his fingers through his hair and it was quiet for a long time.

 

“I don’t actually know any constellations,” the redhead broke the silence in a soft, sheepish voice.

“I know a few,” Ai reassured him. “Either way, it’s still really nice to just sit together and watch the stars. It’s really relaxing.”

 

Rin nodded and let out a quiet, happy sigh. The smaller teen shifted to be more comfortable, and then he lifted his arm up to point out the first constellation he could see. It took him a total of twenty minutes to figure them all out, and then it was quiet again. Ai kept himself focused on Rin’s breathing, slowly running his fingers up and down his side before he finally settled on just drawing invisible shapes on his stomach. Rin stayed quiet and played with his hair lazily. When the older one finally started to talk again, it was about their training regimen and it was kind of a terrible thing to talk about on a first date, but the gray haired boy didn’t mind one bit. He sounded as smart as he could, and he knew his boyfriend loved every  bit of his attempts.

They talked for a long time, about school and their plans for the future and also their favorite movies and songs. They already knew most of those things, but they found out that night that they could talk about anything and still enjoy themselves. Ai was cold, but being pressed up against Rin while they talked about the places they wanted to go was warm enough for him. He sadly suggested that they go home only when he realized that they might fall asleep outside if they didn’t. And while it sounded romantic to fall asleep in a park together, the reality was getting the cops called on them and probably a heavy fine. They were both too broke for that, so they went home.

Ai had to do some last minute reading for his English class, but Rin was okay with that. They kept one of the lights on while Rin pressed against him from behind, holding his waist tight. He read over Ai’s shoulder while the boy concentrated on translating the pages he was reading. It probably wasn’t the smartest idea to spoon while trying to do homework, but Aiichriou was sure he could get at least a few pages in before he would fall asleep. He wasn’t wrong, but it’s not like he remembered the pages in the morning and he still had to read twenty more pages.

He had slept wonderfully, so it was worth it, and he woke up too early on accident and he got to comb his fingers through Rin’s bedhead and listen to him talk in his sleep. He wished he didn’t have to get out of bed, but this time it wasn’t just because he was afraid to. Now he had this redhead with a bad temper to blame, and he felt like he could handle that much better. Besides, at least the redhead encouraged him and got out of bed with him, and his fear pulled on him like an elastic wrapped around his waist and stuck on the bed frame. It felt weird when it was pulled too tight, and it fit best when he was in bed, but nothing got done that way. It was getting better, though. He’d get through it one day.

He got a good morning kiss, now, too. And they got ready together, and he got a whole lot of kisses then. Sometimes they even got a bit distracted while they kissed and then they were almost late, and that’s what happened today. Rin still walked with him to his class, and even risked a kiss on the cheek, and as Ai sat down in his seat with his homework only half finished, he felt like he was on cloud nine.

-

They had swimming practice again today, and Ai managed to not hide in a stall while he changed. He was excited to be swimming, and he was thinking that maybe he really wasn’t so terrible at sports. This was all new things for him, and each time he looked at Rin, he was smiling back at him, and that only made him feel better. He got a few questions, because unlike usually, he was beaming and confident, and everyone wanted to know why and how. He just shrugged, and once he got his goggles on his head over his swim cap he smiled at his boyfriend with a thankful look in his eyes. Rin only nodded at him, and he smiled to himself, and then he got ready to dive.

Coach stopped Ai to ask him what had changed in him, because apparently now he was swimming with much more energy and better form. Aiichirou just shrugged, giving him some lame lie about a change in his diet. Later, Rin told him the Coach asked him the same thing. They laughed about it, and then they kissed one last time before they went out to get dinner together again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter there might be a teeny tiny meetup with the iwatobi boys (and by that i mean that it's going to be a pretty big deal)


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ai learns that many other people do actually know how kind sharks can be

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ive been continuously sick, it feels like, although i dont have an actual cold. but i will persevere until this fic is over. i was thinking maybe ten-ish chapters, get up to regionals. honestly, this entire thing hasn't really had a plot. just a basic outline, i guess. also, sorry for not as much dialogue with this chapter. i was kinda feeling out of it.

Aiichirou was nervous. More nervous than he usually was about races. And this time, he wasn’t even in the race. The race technically didn’t even concern him. It was just some race between Rin and his childhood rival (though, they were still technically rivals, but also friends, which confused him in some ways.) He bit his lip while he walked with Rin, who was talking away and he was only half listening. He felt almost bad for not listening, but his hands were sweating and honestly he was more concerned about Rin noticing that than catching him not listening.

They were meeting at Iwatobi’s new pool, and Rin seemed both a little unhappy and excited about this. Ai wasn’t quite sure if Rin was happy that he’d started talking with his friends again, honestly. Ai knew that a few of them were helping him out, especially the one named Makoto (who Rin had described as someone who was really, unfortunately tall and really nice). He wasn’t so sure about the guy he was going to race today, though. Haruka was his name, he thought. He could be wrong. He wasn’t sure.

It didn’t even matter if he didn’t like them, though. They were Rin’s childhood friends, and it would be unfair for him to make Rin unhappy by disliking them too much. What mattered to him was if they liked him. If they didn’t, well… Honestly, it wouldn’t be a first. But, he didn’t want to make Rin’s life bad in that aspect, and that’s where all his nervousness came from.

His boyfriend had assured him over and over again that they would love him. It’s not that he didn’t believe him, it was just that as a boyfriend, Rin had to say that stuff. And he hadn’t talked with his friends for longer than twenty minutes in the past year or two, they might not exactly be who he remembered them to be.

He let out a soft sigh, but instantly regretted it. Rin’s word halted at the sound and then his footsteps did to. Aiichirou stopped as well, holding his breath and counting the seconds until Rin spoke.

 

“Ai, what’s wrong? You’re really quiet,” Rin pointed out the obvious, and Aiichirou used all of his inner strength to keep himself from saying something sarcastic.

 

“I’m just nervous,” Ai responded instead.

 

“Why? They’re just my friends,” Rin asked.

 

“Yeah, and if we don’t get along then you’ll feel bad and you’ll try and make excuses instead of just telling me you’re going to see them and then I’ll think you’re lying and… It’s just… It could turn out really bad,” Ai rambled on for a moment, a frown growing on his face.

 

“Ai,” Rin said with a smile on his face, and Ai could have sworn it was almost patronizing, “They’re not going to care. They’re going to be happy because we both are, and they’re going to love you. Not because you’re my boyfriend or anything like that, you’re just a really good person and there’s no reason for them to dislike you.”

 

Ai paused for a little while, trying to decide how he’d react to this. He settled on a smile, hiding it behind his hand for a moment before wrapping his arms around Rin and giving him a kiss.

 

“Thank you. I’m still going to be really nervous, but at least I have someone to reassure me,” Ai murmured, holding on tight to his boyfriend for a long moment before he drew back.

 

“Ready to go? I’ve got a race to win,” Rin said, showing his teeth when he smiled.

 

“You better,” Ai responded, giving him a grin.

 

Rin laughed softly and lead Aiichirou into the school, making a few jokes with him as they made their way out to the pool. There was obviously people already there, if the sound of splashing said anything. Ai felt his heart leap up into his throat and his stomach drop, and he felt cold but warm at the same time, but he forced himself to breath and his feet to keep moving.

It actually wasn’t that bad. When they walked out there, it took them a few moments to notice them, and then the boy Ai thought was Nagisa was excitedly introducing himself. Aiichirou managed a smile and then introduced himself as well, and he squeaked a little as he was hugged and welcomed to their pool. Makoto was easy to spot, because he was really tall and he sounded almost like a mother when he asked Nagisa to, please, let go of him. Rei was kind of weird, he had to admit, and Rin hadn’t told him much about him because he was new. Haru was the person swimming in the pool, he was told by Makoto, and he honestly felt like he fit in somehow. They were an odd group of friends, and maybe he could fit in.

Soon after they all got introduced, Rin headed off to go get ready for the race. Aiichirou was left to talk with everyone, ignoring Nagisa’s intrusive questions and answering most of Makoto’s. Rei was trying to reign in Nagisa because his questions just got worse and worse, and honestly he was already having a great day.

He was really excited to see Rin and Haru race, and they just cheered to keep everyone excited. Ai was on Rin’s side, but that was kind of mandatory. He cheered along with everyone, and even though technically Haru won, he didn’t mind and they were all still happy. Rin was a little upset, but not so bad that he was ready to go home or anything like that. They had a barbeque planned, anyways. And he’d be meeting Gou for the first time there, which was a little scary because he did have to actually impress her. He wasn’t nervous, and Nagisa and Makoto even started giving him tips on the way to Haru’s house. Haru only asked him how much he loved swimming and if Rin was being good to him, both of which he answered with “Of course!” and a smile. He decided that Haru must be a good person, although he was quiet.

Haru had a small house, though they all managed to get in around the table comfortably. He was warned that Haru would probably try and make him eat mackerel, and that he didn’t have to eat it, but he just replied that he’d honestly be fine with anything. Nagisa cheered at that and starting listing off the foods he wanted Haru to make, which was a list longer than any of them could count. Rei politely cut him off and said that it would be impossible to make all of that. Haru looked almost determined to make as much as he could, though, which frightened Ai honestly.

Soon, Gou arrived and Aiichirou tried his best to seem polite, but she just gave him a smile and a hug, telling him he didn’t have to act formal and Rin had told her a lot about him. Rin complained at that, and Ai laughed and hugged her back. Really, he felt so at home, maybe even more so than when he was actually at home.

When Haru came back with the food, Aiichirou was impressed. He had made things that looked delicious. He thanked him for the food, and he waited for everyone else to eat before he did as well. He had a small smile as he ate, tuning out from the conversation, just thinking to himself about things. Nagisa noticed this, though, and soon he was brought back into everything, and honestly Aiichirou had never felt more relaxed in a situation like this. It was so nice, and he was beyond happy because of it.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i already have another fic being planned... its either going to be about mermen or about depression, and there's a chance that both might not be rintori  
> but i really love rintori, so don't think this is going to be my last fic for them


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ai learns that sharks actually really do like to treat their boyfriends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for being late! i had homecoming dance and then i was just at a friends house, and then i was just straight up exhausted. im still tired today, but i forced a chapter out anyways. im thinking at this pace, ten chapters will be just about right

Swim practice is the most tiring, stressful, and scary things Aiichriou goes through in his daily life. But, it is also the most exciting, uplifting, and rewarding things he does as well. He loves it, although sometimes he has anxiety attacks after them. He’s usually pretty okay, and right now as he’s swimming his hardest on their last laps of the night he feels great. His arms are tired and sore, and his legs feel kind of tingly but he’s still completely energetic and excited. Regionals were coming up soon, and he was training his hardest so he could maybe make it onto the relay team. He knew it wasn’t likely, but he really, really hoped he did.

He feels like he’s walking on clouds as he walks to the locker room, and after his shower he changes quickly and gets into line quickly. Their captain starts to call out their best times, and Aiichirou is actually surprised when he hears his own time. He somehow went from being one of the slowest to being able to join the relay team, with an improvement of a few seconds. He got a round of applause for his time change, and he had to try his hardest to not cry. He wasn’t sure if it was a mess up or if he had really just worked that hard in the past months, but he was going to be able to help them win, maybe.

The relay team would be picked out for sure next practice, so he made sure to promise himself to not eat anymore candy or drink any soda until after Regionals, and then maybe Nationals, if they got that far. They probably would, but he wasn’t a hundred percent sure if he’d get that far. He was a first year, after all. He had time.

Rin wasn’t in their dorm when he got there, but that was okay. He was probably planning to do something special for him, and he was okay enough with not trying to guess. He just wanted to lay down for a little while and let his muscles take a little break. He ended up closing his eyes and before he knew it, he had fell asleep. He was curled up with the blanket wrapped around him tightly, snoring softly. He wasn’t sound asleep, but he still murmured a few things in his sleep like he was dreaming.

When he woke up, Rin had just walked in. He groaned softly at the sound of him closing the door and he curled up even more, whining softly at life while he tried to wake up more. He swatted at the hand that rested on his shoulder, and when he realized how childish he was being based on the way Rin chuckled, he decided he could maybe sit up. He blinked at Rin, obviously tired and obviously grumpy, but Rin was all smiles.

 

“I’m so proud of you,” Rin said right away.

 

“Mmh,” Aiichirou replied with just a hum.

 

“I think you deserve a really nice dinner tonight, don’t you think?” Rin asked.

 

Aiichirou nodded and rested his head on Rin’s shoulder.

 

“No soda… Or dessert…” he murmured tiredly, curling into Rin.

 

Rin laughed softly at him and kissed his forehead.

 

“You say that now, but by the end of the night we’re going to at least have dessert,” Rin retorted.

 

“No…” he whined softly and wrapped his arms around Rin’s neck, trying to convince him to maybe just lay down for a little while longer.

 

“C’mon, babe, let’s get going. You deserve a nice dinner.”

 

Aiichirou was won over by the little pet name, and he took less than ten minutes to get dressed and ready for their date. It was kind of weird to wear something this nice looking for a date, since most of their dates were at small restaurants and outdoor places. He liked the idea, though, of being out a nice place and eating food that was nicer than usual. He knew that no matter what his time would have been, Rin would have probably taken him out, but made it a whole lot nicer that it was a celebration dinner and not an ‘it’s okay, you’ll do better soon,’ dinner.  

They walked out of the academy, and to Aiichirou’s surprise there was a decent looking taxi waiting for them right outside. He blushed a little just from sheer surprise and happiness, and a whole lot of other emotions too, when Rin opened his door for him. He sat in the car and shifted around for a moment before buckling up his seatbelt.

 

“This is kind of weird,” he murmured to Rin when they were on their way to the restaurant. “I’m so used to the subway and the train.”

 

“I know, I thought that’s what could make this night really special. This restaurant has some foods that I’ve honestly never heard of,” Rin admitted, giving him his usual wide, toothy grin before leaning over to kiss his cheek.

 

“You really went all out for me, huh? You didn’t have to do that, but… Thank you, Rin-senpai,” he murmured, his blush coming back in a light shade.

 

“You don’t have to use the honorific anymore, Ai, it’s really okay,” Rin replied. “And you’re welcome. I thought that you really did deserve a night like this.”

 

“It’s habit by now, but I’ll try. I thought you might wait until after Regionals to go have a nice dinner like this, but I guess I was wrong.”

 

Rin just smiled at him again in reply and Aiichirou grinned as well. He looked out of the window for a while, only looking over at Rin when he took his hand, and that was just a brief moment. He hadn’t been to this part of town much, but he was excited to see it. Even if they just went on a short walk after dinner and then walked home, or took the bus or train or something, he was going to be excited all night. He loved anything that resembled a city, and while Iwatobi was mostly just a small town, it’s downtown area was a little bit more city-ish. It was exciting enough to Aiichirou.

 

“You look so excited, it’s just downtown,” Rin hummed, amused.

 

“Yeah, but it’s the rich part of downtown. You know, with the clothes that I will probably never afford and all the other fancy stores,” Aiichirou said excitedly, looking at Rin now with bright eyes and a bright smile.

 

“You haven’t ever even shopped in this part of town?” Rin asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

“Nope. I think I might have gone into one of these stores on accident and left panicking, but that was… That doesn’t count,” he said with a short laugh.

 

“Ai, you should have told me! I would have taken you on way more dates down here,” Rin whined almost.

 

“But, I really like our dates already. You don’t have to buy me anything to make me happy,” Aiichirou said sincerely, and Rin paused for a moment before smiling and kissing him again.

Aiichirou laughed softly and kissed back, and soon enough the car stopped and they got out together. He felt almost a little bit nervous now, maybe he was a little bit too underdressed or something similar, but Rin taking his hand made him feel a little bit better. They walked in together, and suddenly Aiichirou was drowned in delicious smells of food and the occasional whiff of way too expensive perfume, and the sound of people working, talking, and eating all at the same time. He found out, after the overwhelming feeling washed away, that he actually kind of liked this place. Their server was nice and Rin even gave him hints on what to get so he didn’t feel completely lost, but honestly neither of them knew what they were really going to get for dinner and that was both exciting but terrifying. This place did cost a lot, after all, and it would suck to get terrible food.

They didn’t talk too much, mostly because the restaurant was still somewhat loud from it’s late night rush of people. But thankfully, their dinner came to them quickly and they got right to eating. They spent about a minute total just complimenting how good the food was to no one in particular, and when Aiichirou finished he started to look at desserts right away. Rin chuckled at that, finishing his last bite finally.

 

“I thought you said no dessert?” Rin asked.

 

“Yeah, yeah, but that was when I didn’t know that this place was amazing,” Aiichirou waved him off, looking through the menu excitedly before settling on chocolate cake with that really good whipped icing.

 

Rin got his own dessert as well, and of course they both stole a few bites here and there, but for the most part they just ate quietly. They didn’t even have to talk to make their dates seem fun and casual, they just were like that already. They spent a total of forty-five minutes at the restaurant, and they spent a lot less than Rin thought they might. That just meant they could go out to some shops, but Aiichirou stopped them as they got outside again so he could give him another kiss.

They kissed for a total of five minutes, only pulling back when they heard thunder crack.

 

“It’s almost like deja vu. This happened after we confessed,” Rin murmured.

 

“Maybe rain is our little present for having such a good time,” Ai theorized.

  
Rin laughed, and even though it was starting to sprinkle, they leaned in for another kiss. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im so tired. honestly i dont even know if this is a hundred percent quality but im tired and it looks good and i feel kinda decent about things so ill just go with it


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which aiichirou learns that sharks can indeed fall in love harder than he had

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tbh i dont even have an excuse why this is this late. three day weekend, tiredness, etc. i was just being lazy

Aiichirou was trying to keep his breathing normal while they ate breakfast together. It was the morning where they would get on the bus and drive to where Regionals were, and then they’d have a few hours to go do what they want before bed. Aiichirou wasn’t entirely nervous, or anxious, but he was still having trouble keeping his breathing even. He loved the breakfast, it was something American and really sweet, but still good. He really loved the whole atmosphere. Everyone was so excited and ready for the relay and races tomorrow. Even the kids who weren’t going to be racing were pumped up. It made Aiichirou almost feel relaxed, but when he had the chance to swim in the relay with Rin, he honestly couldn’t be relaxed no matter how hard he tried.

Even Rin was quiet. He was eating a bit slower than Aiichirou, so he just assumed that he was nervous maybe jittery. As the star of the team, he had to be a little bit nervous when Regionals came around, right? He spent a little while watching his boyfriend before deciding that they could just talk about this on the bus. They would be sitting together for a few hours, anyway. He finished up with his breakfast, asked to be excused, and then washed off his plate before going out to sign up his and Rin’s spot on the bus.

Aiichirou had to stand  there and think about it for a total of five minutes before he chose the two seats that he thought would be the best for them. Not directly in the back of the bus, but not in the middle either. It would be the quietest there, he was sure. Or, even if it wasn’t, Rin would be busy listening to his American music and hopefully cuddling him. He wanted to talk with him, too, to help dull his nerves that were bound to happen during their long ride. He hummed in satisfaction when he finally marked their names down, and then he turned to go walk back to get their things. But, in a sense this was predictable, he ran right into Rin.

 

“Hey there,” Rin murmured, wrapping an arm around him right away.

 

“Hi,” Aiichirou responded quickly and softly.

 

“You picked my favorite spot. Did you really spend time picking it out?” Rin asked, glancing past Aiichirou for a moment to read that.

 

“Ah, y-yeah. I wanted you to be comfortable, Rin-senpai,” he responded almost sheepishly.

 

“Hm. Are you going to be comfortable there?”

 

“Of course. I’ll be able to look out of the window, and still cuddle you.”

 

“Don’t be so blunt about it..”

 

Aiichirou laughed softly, leaning up to press a kiss to the corner of Rin’s mouth.

 

“Can you get our bags for me? I don’t think we should get on just yet, but it would be good to be somewhere around first in line,” Aiichirou said.

 

“No, trust me. Those kids’ll be done in minutes, and then it’s just stretches. We should get our bags on, stretch, and get on as soon as possible. Really, that sheet doesn’t set anything in stone,” Rin told him, giving him a fond smile.

 

“Oh, really? Well, I would really hate to not sit with you, so let’s hurry.”

 

Rin nodded and took his hands, and once Aiichirou laced their fingers together they were off. Rin ended up carrying his bags for him, which he both did and didn’t complain about. Really, it was sweet of him, but he could do it himself. Oh well, at least he got to do his stretches on his own. He didn’t mind doing them with Rin, but his shorts made it a bit… Awkward. They rode up and they already didn’t cover that much… But, that was a different topic that he didn’t like to bring up a whole bunch. He just was glad that he didn’t have to try and fix his shorts every few seconds.

He was the second person on the bus, and then Rin joined him right after that. He smiled at his boyfriend when he sat down, and they got settled in pretty quickly. They had brought a blanket, and all of their chargers and other necessities. And, just as they got comfortable, there was rush of about twenty other impatient, excited teenage boys getting on the bus. Rin chuckled a little at that, and Ai commented quietly on how he was right.

It wasn’t very long after that when the bus started to move. Ai was excited, pressed against Rin, but still watching the window. Rin was combing his fingers through his hair with one hand and playing a game on his phone with the other, and like that they stayed for an hour or two.

About the same time where everyone started to settle down was when Ai decided it would be good to start talking.

 

“Rin?” he asked, quietly so no one would hear him not use the honorific.

 

“Mmh?” Rin sounded his reply, turning off his phone and looking at his boyfriend.

 

“Are you nervous at all?” Aiichirou asked, moving so he could look at him a little better.

 

“A little. But, we’re all nervous before the race. Are you?” Rin asked.

 

“Yeah… I’ll probably get really anxious later, honestly,” Ai answered, sounding a bit ashamed.

 

“I don’t blame you. But, you’ve got me. And there’s plenty of water here, so if you need to drink some just ask me. It’ll be fine, I’ll help you through it.”

 

Ai smiled up at his boyfriend. Sure, he could be grumpy in the morning and he had bad morning breath and sharp teeth, but he was more caring than his family was a times. He leaned up to give him a kiss, and then he settled down so his head was on Rin’s shoulder and he was pressed up close.

 

“I’ll trust you on this. I still don’t even know if I’ll be on the relay team. It’s going to announced during dinner, after all,” Ai said softly.

 

“You’re gonna be on the relay team,” Rin assured him simply, wrapping his arms around him.

 

“You sound so sure,” Ai laughed.

  
“Because you’ve improved a lot. And we make for a good team. Everyone’s transitions are good according to our mock relays, so we would really have nothing to worry about,” Rin responded quickly.

 

“Do you really want to swim in the relay with me?” Ai asked softly, his voice suddenly filled with a lot more tenderness.

 

“Of course. I miss my old team, but… Swimming with you is something different. Being around you is something different,” Rin answered softly, with a raw kind of emotion in his voice that shouldn’t be there while they were on a bus with people around them, but it meant a whole lot more because it meant he didn’t care.

 

“I… I really love swimming and being around you, too..”

 

“I was honestly thinking of maybe trying to do something with them once we got there, but… You deserve a tour of Tokyo, or at least as much of one that I can provide. For your effort.”

 

Aiichirou smiled, and this time it was made of pure happiness. For once, he felt like he was drowning but completely okay at the same time. Sure, Rin was hot headed and stubborn, and he talked too loud and interrupted him sometimes. And he did sometimes punch the wall and snap at Aiichirou when he was being worried, but he loved Aiichirou. And it was obvious. Rin would tell people if Aiichirou asked. He probably already had. Rin would kiss him and cuddle with him all day if he could, and he knew that because they had once, and honestly. He was head over heels for this grumpy shark-toothed teenager, and that same grumpy teenager was probably in deeper than Ai was. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im still not entirely sure if next chapter will be the last, but either way i probably wont update this upcoming weekend. i might be out of town, or just taking a little break (unless a bought of inspiration hits me). forgive me! anyway, i'm going to be posting a few 69 minute prompts soon! they might not be rintori, though, since a certain friend of mine got me into oofuri and now i want to write it so bad 
> 
> ok im rambling gooodbye plz give kudos and comment plz i love you


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> aiichirou learns that he can do anything, honestly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahahaha... i didnt think this would take me almost 3 weeks (and its still only like 2000 words /sob), but here it is! the ending! there might be an epilogue after this, but i didn't add it on in this chapter because it didn't entirely fit.   
> i really do hope you like the ending and i hope it was enough!!! im so bad at endings, but i think this was a good way to leave it off.

They woke up slow in the morning, tangled up in each other and the sheets. Aiichirou had to be honest, he really loved this part of the morning, where they struggled to stop cuddling and had to convince each other that it would be worth getting up. When their sleepiness finally wore off, they got moving much quicker with the thought that during breakfast, the people racing were being announced. Sure, usually it was normal to announce it a day or two before, but then everyone who wasn’t going to be in the race was bummed out and didn’t train as hard. Really, Mikoshiba had insisted, it was the best strategy to keep the morale up. And he was their captain this year, so they just had to listen and hope he was right.

Ai couldn’t help but feel really nervous, knowing that he could be one of the kids racing today. He was sure that he would swim even better under pressure, just like he did with studying and doing homework. Though, when it came time for tests, he usually didn’t do his best… He snapped himself out of his thoughts, since he was supposed to be getting ready and not coming up with metaphors.

Rin didn’t say much, but that didn’t really bother Ai because he would probably just mess up with whatever it was he was trying to say with how nervous he was. He hurried with his shower and then he hurried even more when trying to get dressed, and by the time he was at the door, he was so nervous his hands were shaking. He probably should have said something to Rin earlier, but the look on Rin’s face only made him more nervous. He looked like he was getting ready to eat someone up, honestly. That was the best way Ai could describe it, and he was kind of afraid to get his head chewed off by saying something wrong. He never usually thought that way, but then again, they usually weren’t at Regionals and usually his anxiety only skyrocketed this high when he was going up to a cashier alone.

 

“Rin, I’m nervous,” Ai said it before he knew he was actually speaking, and his voice sounded so much smaller and shakier than he meant it to.

 

“What?” Rin asked, sounding annoyed, but the second he looked at Aiichirou something seemed to make sense to him and his face softened. “Ah, shit. You doing alright?”  
  


“Not really,” Ai replied quietly, trying to hide himself into the corner because he was going to make them late and Rin hadn’t even finished tying his shoes, they shouldn’t be stopping to talk and--

 

“Breathe. You look terrified,” Rin told him gently, reaching out to hold onto his wrist.

 

It was a small movement that should have been irrelevant or maybe even awkward, but for Aiichirou, it was relieving. He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, then closed his eyes, counted to five, and repeated.

 

“Sorry,” he murmured after a little bit of doing this.

 

“Nah, it’s okay. Everyone gets really nervous the breakfast before, and you’re nervous normally, so I can imagine it’s kinda shitty for you. Just keep breathing, you’ll do fine,” Rin said, sounding casual as always, and after he finished talking he pulled his hand back.

 

It was this kind of casualness that Aiichirou was most thankful for, because it made him feel like this was _normal_ , like he wasn’t completely weird for being so nervous and hung up over something like this. He gave Rin his most convincing small smile, and he got a kiss on the cheek before Rin pulled away to get his shoes on. Ai waited patiently before walking out into the hall, waiting for Rin to check for his key card, and then they walked down to the hotel lobby. Most of the team had gathered up in there and were talking among themselves, and Ai found himself a chair to get settled in for the ten minutes or so they would be stuck here.

The morning sped up a little bit after that. They walked together to a restaurant for breakfast, and everyone ate as quick as they could so they could hear who was going to be racing today. Aiichirou wasn’t nervous at all anymore. Now he was excited, and he was almost shaking with how excited he was. Even if he didn’t get to race, he was going to cheer them on with everything he had. He almost couldn’t eat because of how ready he was, almost. The pancakes were too good.

It went quiet in the room as their captain started to read off who was racing. Rin, of course, was going to be in his own race, then some other people neither of them cared about, and then it came down to the last individual race. The whole room seemed to hold their breath, because everyone had a person that they were rooting for, whether it be Ai or someone else.

 

“...And for the breaststroke, we have Nitori racing today.”

 

Ai’s fingertips felt numb, as well as his legs. Rin was grinning already, and then after a few more moments his own smile grew big enough to compare it to the sun. Everyone cheered for him at their table, a few kids slapping him on the back, and before he even really knew what was going on, it was quiet again. This time, it was because of the relay team being announced. Rin’s name was called, but then… Aiichirou’s wasn’t. He hadn’t done his absolute best on the transition, and he knew right away that’s why he wasn’t on the team. His smile faltered a little, but Rin still gave him a small smile, so he knew it would be okay.

They were on the bus again before he knew that breakfast was over. Rin was holding his hand tight, murmuring things to him about how they would do great today, even if they weren’t getting to swim together in the relay. They would next year, and that promise made Aiichirou really happy for some reason. Maybe it was just the amazingness of even getting to race, or just the whole idea of Regionals that was making him so happy. He had no idea. All he knew was that his hands were shaking badly now.

He and Rin were the last two off of the bus, but that didn’t mean anything really. The kids who had to change into swimwear did just that, and everyone else got ready to pump their whole team up. Ai took a little bit longer changing, but that was only because his hands were shaking so badly. He managed to snap out of it a little bit once they were in the water, but he hardly even knew what was going on while he was warming up. Apparently, from what the coach said, he was doing really good.

He was allowed to sit in the locker room for a little while with Rin before the races actually started. As soon as they walked into the locker room, Rin had his arms around his boyfriend, hugging him tightly.

 

“You don’t have to be nervous.”  
  


Aiichirou realized right then that this is what it was about. He was nervous, and he hadn’t even noticed.

 

“I’m trying to breathe right. I’m just… Shaky,” Aiichirou murmured, clinging to his boyfriend more than hugging him back.

 

“Shush. You’re going to do fine. You wouldn’t have been able to be considered for swimming today if you weren’t good,” Rin nearly cut him off, sounding firm and yet caring.

 

“I know I’ll do fine… I guess…”

 

Aiichirou gasped softly when Rin kissed his forehead, then he turned bright red. He wasn’t used to Rin giving him that kind of affection just yet, especially not in public. But, it had made him calm down quite a bit. He felt himself snap out of the daze he was in earlier, and he was almost sure that his shaking had calmed down quite a bit. He let out a soft sound, his grip on Rin changing from a cling to a gentle hug.

 

“You’re a great swimmer. I’m happy I get to cheer you on today,” Rin murmured, this time it was much softer and Ai could figure out that it was only to make him feel even better.

 

He smiled at the idea of that, resting his head on Rin’s shoulder while his hands started to run up and down his back. He relaxed completely after a few minutes, which was amazing because the last few days he had been incredibly tense. He nuzzled Rin’s neck a little, and that’s when he started to whisper sweet nothings into his ear and he was done. He nearly fell asleep like this, but then Rin pulled back slowly and gave him a few more forehead kisses.

 

“You ready to kick some ass?” Rin asked with an excited smile on his face.

 

“Yeah!” Aiichirou said, a similar smile on his face, and that prompted Rin to grin wider.

 

-

 

After about another twenty minutes, Aiichirou’s race was over. He had swam his hardest, and now he was out of breath and staring at the scoreboard with a focused intensity. His eyes widened when he saw where his name was (not in first place, but he had still earned himself a spot in Nationals), and once again his fingers felt numb and his breath caught in his chest and he felt like he was on fire. The only thing he heard clearly was the team cheering about his time, and eventually, after about ten seconds, he snapped out of it and he laughed a little, his smile widening more.

He shot his teammates a thumbs up before running into the locker room to dry off and get changed. He does it as quick as he can, wanting to be able to find Rin quickly, because he wanted to be able to hug him and be excited. He finally caught his breath after he changed, only out of breath because he had forgotten to breathe a couple times.  He then hurried to try and find his boyfriend, but he didn’t know if he was in the stands or if he was walking around before his second race.

It took him a good five minutes, but he eventually found his boyfriend sitting out in one of the hallways, by the windows and with his head down. He almost instantly understood that he wasn’t in the mood to be talked to, but he didn’t entirely care. He was his boyfriend, after all, and that meant that he was a lot different than most people. Aiichirou sat next to him like there wasn’t anything obviously wrong with him, and before he could even open his mouth Rin moved to hug him.

 

“Oh,” Aiichirou made a small surprised sound at the sudden affection.

 

“Sorry. I just got done talking to the guys from Iwatobi. It was… Kinda rough. You did really well in your race, though,” Rin explained shortly, holding Aiichirou as close as he could get him.

 

“What did you guys talk about?” Aiichirou figured he could get his praise later.

 

“We talked about how we’ve all changed… And I kind of considered doing their relay with them, but then I thought that if I did that then there would be no way for me to swim with you in Nationals--”

 

“Why did you want to do the relay with them?” Aiichirou cut Rin off, which was odd for his character, but he had done a lot of amazing things today and he felt brave.

 

“I thought it would help me reconnect with them a little. Then we could move on and be happier. Their new kid, Rei, wanted to see us all race together. I think it would help us all out.”

 

“...I think you should do it. You still have next year to swim with me, and either way, we practically live together right now and we can swim together whenever,” Aiichirou decided, maybe a little too quickly, but he didn’t care.

 

Rin’s head snapped up and he almost hit Aiichirou, but they managed to not get themselves hurt.

 

“Really?” Rin asked, a small smile coming to his face. “You’d be fine with that?”

 

“Yeah. If you think it’ll make you happier, even though it’ll get our relay team disqualified and who knows what else, you should do it. We’ve got next year, like I said.”

 

Rin smiled a little more and leaned in to give Aiichirou a kiss.

 

“We’ve both come pretty far this year. You’re going to Nationals, and I’m going to fix my relationship with my old friends,” Rin said, sounding almost happy.

 

“And maybe then you won’t be such a tragic, angsty shark boy,” Aiichirou teased him in response, a smile on his face.

 

-

 

About another ten minutes later, Rin got their relay team disqualified. Aiichirou was okay with that, because when Rin came back to him he had a huge grin on his face and he kissed him right in the middle of the stands. Aiichriou blushed, but he didn’t hesitate to kiss back, and the whole team ‘oo’d like they were a bunch of fifth graders again.

Aiichirou couldn’t have asked for a better day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well... this is the end of my first rintori fic. it's almost sad in a way. im going to miss it, but im sure soon enough ill have something new started. i have a few ideas swimming around already.
> 
> until the next story, mes amis.


End file.
